Latch for vertical storage filing cabinet



April 4, 1967 G. I. BARKER 3,312,514

LATCH FOR VERTICAL STORAGE FILING CABINET Filed Dec. 1, 1965 v L-\ I A-I Un States P 3,312,514 I LATCH FOR VERTICAL STORAGE FILING CABINET IGraham Irving Barker, 208 Golden Oaks, Corlett Drive, Johannesburg,Transvaal, Republic of South Africa Filed Dec. 1, 1965, Ser. No. 511,2953 Claims. (Cl. 312-184) This invention relates to filing cabinets fordrawings and the like in which the drawings are hung vertically on pinsprojecting from moving laths, and more particularly to the mechanism forlimiting the movement of said laths.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide an improved latcharrangement for stopping a movable lath in an intermediate partiallyopen position in which access to the stored articles is provided withoutfull disengagement of the pins therefrom. Another object is to providesuch a latch member capable of selectively stopping the movable lath ineither of its intermediate or fully opened positions.

In general the invention features a stop member mounted on the movablelatch and a manually operable spring biased latch mounted on the cabinetframe adjacent the movable lath for pivotal movement toward and awayfrom the stop member, the latch having an edge adjacent the stop runningparallel to the direction of motion of the lath and a slot in the edgefor receiving the stop when the lath is in the desired intermediateposition. In preferred embodiments a rear stop surface on the latchcooperates with the stop member to lock the lath in its fully openposition.

Other objects, features, and advantages will appear from the followingdescription of a preferred embodiment of the invention, taken togetherwith the attached drawings thereof, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a cabinet;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of the cabinet;

FIG. 3 is a section along 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a section along 4-4 of FIG. 3.

Referring to the drawings, a vertical storage filing cabinet is providedwith a plurality of laths 20 movable on bearings such as rollers 12 intracks 14 in the cabinet frame 11. Shaft 15 is connected to sprockets 16coacting with chain members 18 to maintain the parallel relationship ofthe laths 20 as they are moved. Interspersed horizontal pins 22, 24mounted on the opposing faces of the laths 20 are provided to supportstored material.

Each lath 20 is movable between a fully closed position in which thefree ends 23 of its pins are adjacent the mounted ends 21 of the pins onthe opposite lath, and a fully opened position in which ends 23 arewithdrawn beyond free ends 23 of the pins on the opposite lath.

Bracket 30 is mounted on top of frame 11 over track 14 adjacent the pathof a lath 20. Latch 32, having generally horizontal portion 34 andvertical portion 36 directed laterally inwardly toward the lath, ismounted in bracket 30 on shaft 31 for pivotal movement toward and awayfro-m the lath. Control shaft 49 is mounted on portion 34 and extendsthrough elongated slot 42 in bracket 30, terminating in knob 44. Spring46 around shaft 40 bears against bracket 30 and portion 34 to bias thelatch toward the lath.

Vertical stop member 48 is mounted on the rear of lath 20 and extends upto intersect lower horizontal edge 38 of latch portion 36, actingagainst spring 46 to raise the latch away from the lath. Slot 50 in edge38 r 3,312,514 Ice 2 Patented Apr. 4, 1967 receives stop 48 when thelath is in an intermediate position between its fully closed and fullyopened positions with the pins 22, 24 still partially overlapping, Inthis position access to the filed articles provided without thenecessity of disengaging them fully from the pins. When the stop andslot are aligned, spring 46 presses the slot over the stop to lock thelath in its intermediate position. Rear vertical stop surfiace 52 of thelatch cooperates similarly with the stop 48 to lock the lath in is fullyopened position. The lath can be unlocked from its fully opened orintermediate positions by moving knob 44 laterally outwardly away fromthe lath. Stop 48 rides against edge 38 while the latch moves betweenits positions.

Other embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art and are withinthe fiollowing claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a filing cabinet having a frame and at least one pair ofcooperating laths each having mounted thereon a multiplicity of pins,said pins on each of said laths being directed toward and interspersedbetween the pins on the other said lath, at least one of said lathsbeing movable toward and away from the other said lath between a fullyclosed position in which the free ends of its said pins are adjacent themounted ends of the pins on the other lath, and a fully opened positionin which said free ends are Withdrawn beyond the free ends of the pinson the other lath, that improvement comprising a stop member mounted onsaid movable lath,

a manually operable latch mounted on said frame adjacent said movablelath for pivotal movement toward and away from said stop member, saidlatch having an edge adjacent said stop running parallel to thedirection of motion of said movable lath and a slot in said edge forreceiving said stop member located so that when said stop member is insaid slot said movable lath is in an intermediate partially closedposition between said fully opened and fully closed position, wherebyaccess to the stored articles is provided without disengaging the pinsfully therefrom, and

a spring biasing latch toward said stop member with said edge ridingagainst said stop member when said lath is between said positions andlocking said stop member in said slot when said lath is in saidintermediate position.

2. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said latch has a rear stop surfaceextending upwardly from said edge and located so that said stop membermoves across said edge adjacent said surface when said lath is in itsfully opened position.

3. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said latch is pivotally mounted ina bracket and comprises a generally horizontal portion, a verticalportion extending downwardly therefrom adjacent said lath, said edgebeing the lower edge of said vertical portion, and a control shaftextending up from said horizontal portion through an elongated slot insaid bracket, said spring surrounding said shaft between said horizontalportion and said bracket.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,370,664 3/ 1945Hwbbell 312-184 2,519,192 8/1950 Lincke 312-184 2,726,128 12/1955 Hazel312-184 CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No,3,312,514

Graham Irving Barker April 4, 1967 It is hereby certified that errorappears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that thesaid Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 1, line 24, for "latch" read lath column 2, line 9, for "is" readits line 44, after "biasing" insert said Signed and sealed this 28th dayof November '1967 (SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD J. BRENNER Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer

1. IN A FILING CABINET HAVING A FRAME AND AT LEAST ONE PAIR OFCOOPERATING LATHS EACH HAVING MOUNTED THEREON A MULTIPLICITY OF PINS,SAID PINS ON EACH OF SAID LATHS BEING DIRECTED TOWARD AND INTERSPERSEDBETWEEN THE PINS ON THE OTHER SAID LATH, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID LATHSBEING MOVABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE OTHER SAID LATH BETWEEN A FULLYCLOSED POSITION IN WHICH THE FREE ENDS OF ITS SAID PINS ARE ADJACENT THEMOUNTED ENDS OF THE PINS ON THE OTHER LATH, AND A FULLY OPENED POSITIONIN WHICH SAID FREE ENDS ARE WITHDRAWN BEYOND THE FREE ENDS OF THE PINSON THE OTHER LATH, THAT IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A STOP MEMBER MOUNTED ONSAID MOVABLE LATH, A MANUALLY OPERABLE LATH FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENTTOJACENT SAID MOVABLE LATH FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROMSAID STOP RUNNING PARALLEL HAVING AN EDGE ADJACENT SAID STOP RUNNINGPARALLEL TO THE DIRECTION OF MOTION OF SAID MOVABLE LATH AND A SLOT INSAID EDGE FOR RECEIVING SAID STOP MEMBER LOCATED SO THAT WHEN SAID STOPMEMBER IS IN SAID